PENDLETON BLAZE BURNS 1,000 ACRES

Base hospital, some housing evacuated; power cut off in East County as precaution

A 1,000-acre fire on Camp Pendleton Saturday afternoon prompted evacuations at the base hospital and some housing, and sent up an enormous plume of black smoke that could be seen halfway across the county.

On the other side of the county, San Diego Gas & Electric Co. for the first time exercised its discretion to shut off power to customers in the backcountry as a precaution while stiff Santa Ana winds battered the mountains and foothills.

Strong winds and low humidity levels led to a red-flag warning being issued for much of the county through this afternoon.

The Camp Pendleton blaze broke out about 12:45 p.m. near Lake O’Neill and caused minor damage to four buildings. More than 1,000 acres had burned as of about 7 p.m.

Thirty-two patients were transported to hospitals off base during the fire. No new patients were accepted late in the afternoon because of a power outage, officials said.

Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside took five intensive care and emergency room patients. Naval Medical Center San Diego, at Balboa Park, had received about 17 patients, including surgical and pediatric cases, and mother-child pairs, said Sonja Hanson, public affairs officer for the medical center.

Danger from the fire lifted in the night, and the base hospital reopened to new patients. Transferred patients stayed where they were, Hanson said.

Families also were evacuated from O’Neill Heights housing near Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, about 12 miles from the main gate.

“Everybody’s been displaced to Main Side,” said Maj. Amy Punzel, a spokeswoman for the base.

The displaced families were standing around, many with their pets, in whatever shade they could find near the gym and Country Store in the afternoon.

Cal Fire and other North County fire agencies sent six air tankers, five helicopters and eight ground crews. Pendleton officials said they did not know what caused the fire.

Winds in the area Saturday afternoon were blowing between 24 mph and 36 mph. By late afternoon, the wind direction shifted to more of a traditional onshore breeze.

Two other North County fires on Saturday each burned less than an acre, at 5 a.m. in Valley Center north of Harrah’s casino, and about 11 a.m. near Country Club Lane in Oceanside. No damage to structures was reported.

A small fire also broke out in the San Diego River bed in Mission Valley, near Napa Street and Linda Vista Road, shortly after 8 p.m. No structures were threatened. Fire officials said it may have started in or near a transient camp, near a bike path.

The East County power outage came about 6 a.m. and lasted much of the day for 83 customers in parts of Santa Ysabel, Wynola and Pine Hills near Julian, and south to Descanso, Cuyamaca, Viejas and Boulder Creek. As afternoon winds diminished, power was restored to all but a couple of customers.

“This is the first time that we have, during a red-flag warning event, turned off the power for public safety,” said utility company spokeswoman Stephanie Donovan.